Magic made costly mistake this summer according to NBA analyst
By Elaine Blum
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Orlando Magic fans seemed relatively content with Franz Wagner's max extension. If you have a promising young player who has been a huge part of your success so far, you want to make sure that he sticks around. A five-year contract worth at least $224 million should do just that.
Extending a player who is not a clear max guy but still really good is always difficult. Some fans are okay with overpaying if it keeps the team together, and the organization seems to feel good about the deal as well. Even after Wagner's disappointing performance in Game 7 of the playoffs, they had his back.
The Magic would not have gotten that far without Wagner, but he still has some work to do to live up to this max extension. It is actually the biggest contract the Magic have given out so far and will be until Paolo Banchero inks his new contract.
Obviously, not everyone is happy with Wagner's new deal, and according to one NBA analyst, the Magic made a costly mistake.
Bill Simmons has doubts if Wagner can live up to this extension
Recently, on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo discussed Franz Wagner's and Scottie Barnes' extensions. It seems fair to say that they are not fans, and Simmons clearly stated that he doesn't think either is a max player.
Especially in Wagner's case, he admitted that he was surprised by the extension news.
"I was stunned," he said, "I would have waited a year, see if he can shoot threes better."
Three-point shooting was the biggest issue with Wagner's game last season. After shooting 35.4 and 36.1 percent in his first two seasons, his shooting percentage dropped to just 28.1 percent. In today's NBA, it is difficult to be a big-time wing without a serviceable 3-point shot.
Hopefully, last season was just an outlier, and Wagner will use his time with the German national team to work through his shooting issues. If this trend continues for a few seasons, though, the Magic might have a problem. That is exactly what Simmons brought up as a point against giving Wagner the max extension.
"Can he be a top-three guy on a title team if he can't make threes? I don't know," he said of Wagner's shooting struggles.
Later, he added that he is not sure whether Wagner can live up to this contract. If he can't, the Magic made a costly mistake.
Next. Magic not giving up on sought-after center quite yet. Magic not giving up on sought-after center quite yet. dark